


A Jimi Valentine

by MathiasHyde



Series: We Wish You A Jimi Christmas [1]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 17:02:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13979598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathiasHyde/pseuds/MathiasHyde
Summary: Higashikata does not like Valentine’s Day.





	A Jimi Valentine

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2018 Valentine Zine.

Higashikata does not like Valentine’s Day.

It’s a silly tradition, he’s said that more than once to his best friend Minami. Minami always agrees, as they make it an annual tradition to stop by the plethora of chocolate stores in the weeks leading up to the day and look at the exorbitant prices together.

“It’d be smarter to wait until the next day, when they’re all trying to get rid of their stock,” Higashikata says. It’s always 50%, sometimes even 70% discounted for just being a day late.

“I think it’s the thought that counts on the day though, Masami,” Minami says and Higashikata frowns over the beautifully wrapped displays.

He still doesn’t really get it, he’d rather receive chocolate from a girl that’s late – it shows that she’s smart with her money.

Still, the chocolates that always get the most reactions from the tennis club are the ones that are obviously handmade, in little cellophane bags that crinkle loudly and get stuffed in their lockers. And maybe those ones he’d be okay with, since handmade things could be very economical.

Well, at least Higashikata sees them in other’s lockers and thinks that, he’s never opened his locker to one personally. Or any chocolates, actually.

And neither has Minami for that matter.

And as this is their last year in school… Higashikata is determined to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

For Minami at least, Higashikata doesn’t mind too much if he doesn’t get chocolate from a girl this year. At least that’s what he tells himself.

“It’s alright, Masami. I’m sure I’m popular enough after being in the tennis club for six years now,” Minami had confided with him. “And I was captain again this year, with you. It was wonderful.”

Higashikata’s prone to agreeing – particularly about being captains together – but Minami also doesn’t stick out as much compared to flashy people like Sengoku and Akutsu, who lurks around the corners when he thinks they aren’t looking.

Even Dan sticks out more, not that Higashikata’s going to admit that out loud. Still, he’s noticed a few eyes following their youngest team member around more than once.

He doesn’t mind that Minami isn’t flashy though, at least Higashikata always notices him

\--

“I have to go run errands for my mother,” he says to Minami one afternoon, dodging out of their usual helpful afternoon study session together. “I’ll help you in Chemistry tomorrow,” he promises.

It’s the 2nd of February and chocolates are already in the stores.

And there’s lots of girls milling around, talking to their friends as he stands there, staring at one of the displays in Tobu department store.

1400 yen for a small box…. Much too expensive. Even if they are beautifully wrapped and presented.

The other stores he looks at aren’t much better and Higashikata can almost feel his wallet burning against his back through his bag at the thought of spending that much money on _chocolate_. Even if it is for Minami Kentarou, his best friend.

Perhaps it’s noticeable when he leaves the store, standing a good head above all the girls. But for once, his bags get checked at the door and that’s kind of exciting.

–

“Chocolates are out in the stores already,” he says to Minami as they sit in the library together the next day, Minami’s Chemistry revision spread out over the table. “They’re more expensive than last year.” Or at least it felt that way, now that he was going to buy some.

It’s nice, with them being months past retirement from the tennis club. It hasn’t changed, spending practically every afternoon together, but now they sit and talk in the library instead of sneaking talks between matches and drills on the tennis court.

“Did you go see them already without me?”

“Ah, no! I had to buy something for my mother and I passed some on the way...” he trips over the lie, but Minami doesn’t seem to notice. His smile is relaxed anyway, and just as lovely as Higashikata always notices it to be.

“We should go on the weekend. They might have some specials on and we can see how many people they fool,” Higashikata blurts out. They both enjoy people watching, standing in the corner together of a location, pointing out silly things to each other.

Once, Minami had noticed a pair of twins, only one had been left handed, and the other right handed. A very clever observation, he thought!

“That sounds excellent, Masami! The usual meeting place?” If anything, Minami’s smile is larger than before.

“Perhaps we can be extra daring and go get Starbucks on the way. I think I have a coupon for a free drink we could use.”

All plans made, there’s now an odd silence between them and Higashikata taps his pen against the Chemistry question. It’s not a difficult one, but he just can’t seem to figure out where to go next in the calculation with Minami smiling at him like that.

–

It’s now the 8th of Feburary and Higashikata still can’t bring himself to buy chocolate. They only seem to be getting more expensive, he tells himself.

They had indeed gone to the shops together on the weekend and Higashikata had been sure to watch carefully which of the boxed sets of chocolates Minami lingered over. He’s sure Minami didn’t notice, although sometimes he caught his best friend watching him just as carefully.

But now, as he stands in the same store they’d gone to before, the piles have changed and the careful purple box of assorted chocolates is gone.

Higashikata does a circuit of the store, and then another, just in case he missed it the first two times. But it’s gone and he fidgets with a frayed part on his school bag strap.

Now what does he do?

“Ah, what are you doing here, Higashikata-senpai?”

He jumps at the voice and the touch on his arm. It could be Minami, who had sensed he came back here and would now feel worried that he was being abandoned again after Higashikata blew him off for _another_ afternoon this month. 

But it’s Dan and Higashikata lets himself relax.

Of course Minami wouldn’t call him ‘Higashikata-senpai’. They’d been on given name basis since the very first time Banji had partnered them up in middle school.

“I’m just looking at chocolates,” he says and pats Dan on the back. “Don’t tell Kentarou, though. It’s a secret.”

They don’t have many secrets from each other, and certainly Higashikata doesn’t think he’s ever really had a secret between just him and Dan either. It’s rather secretly thrilling as he lets his hand drop back to his side.

“Of course! I won’t tell Minami-buchou about seeing you here.”

Dan seems to have a sparkle in his eye now and Higashikata wonders what sort of crazy idea he’s come up with for him being here by himself.

It doesn’t matter anyway, the chocolate is still too expensive though, even if the box had been there still.

–

It’s Valentine’s Day and Higashikata still thinks that he doesn’t like it. There’s no chocolate in his locker when he opens it and even though he hadn’t been expecting anything, it’s still disappointing.

All of middle school and high school with no chocolate. It seems that this year will be no different.

He’s never gotten any during the day either, handed to him in confession scenes that he reads about in the shoujo manga series he borrows from his sister. He knows _she_ prefers handing them in person, especially since the most popular boy in her year in the middle school is more likely to accept them in person.

So he hears.

He thinks he would have preferred them in the shoe locker though. He’s always liked the idea of the fictional waterfall of chocolate when he opens the door.

Minami doesn’t get any either, he discovers as he sees his best friend putting his shoes away just an aisle down. His friend smiles at him though when he approaches, and Higashikata decides it doesn’t matter so much today if they didn’t get anything.

Because he has a great plan.

–

He’s right, the prices are significantly cheaper the next day, and there’s less girls swarming around the displays. He has to be sneaky though, as he thinks Minami suspects something.

His friend has always been very perceptive, moreso than a lot of people in the tennis club give him credit for. Maybe it’s from always being off to the side and watching others. Although, Higashikata does proudly lay claim to the fact that he’s always been the hardest one for Minami to read.

The box Minami had looked at so closely was no longer there, but Higashikata spends just 351 yen on a similar box. And the green colour of the paper the girl wraps it up in makes him smile a bit. Very fitting, he thinks.

He doesn’t head straight home after it, although it’s a detour to double back and head to Yamabuki Junior High School. He checks his watch as he walks, lengthening his stride to hurry.

The tennis club should still be practising, at least. It’s still early enough.

And they are, the green of the uniform making him stop to smile a bit, with the ever familiar figure of Banji wandering around between them. It’s almost like no time at all has passed since they graduated.

“Banji!!”

Especially not when Banji turns around to look at him. Higashikata can’t read the expression on the man’s face initially, but the smile that follows is familiar as he approaches.

“Oh, so many visitors from the high school today, Higashikata.”

That makes him pause and Higashikata frowns a little. Who else would have visited…?

“You got another visitor today, Banji?”

“It’s nothing important. What can I do for you?”

Higashikata pulls out the box of chocolates, complete with a card that he’d paid an extra 50 yen for, carefully threaded through the ribbon. “Can you write a message to Kentarou on this, for me?”

Banji looks surprised, his eyebrows raising almost comically high and Higashikata hurries to explain. “I wanted to make sure he gets a chocolate once for Valentine’s Day, you see.”

“But it’s a day late...” Still Banji takes the box, and the pen Higashikata holds out to him next.

“It was too expensive to buy them beforehand. And it’s the thought that counts.”

That makes Banji chuckle at least and Higashikata watches him anxiously as he starts to write. “Can you make your handwriting more girly?” he asks and Banji pauses. “And maybe sign it with a female name?”

Somehow he thinks that Minami will get a kick out of it being from a girl. Perhaps he’ll even comment that this girl is more Higashikata’s type, since she’s so clever with her money.

It’s signed by Banjiko in the end and Higashikata bows repeatedly as he takes it back.

“Say hello to your doubles partner for me. You two never change...”

Higashikata barely hears him though as he thanks him again, putting the box carefully back in his bag. He can’t wait to see Minami’s face tomorrow.

–

Higashikata makes sure that Minami isn’t around when he arrives at school earlier than normal, sneaking up to his friend’s shoe locker. Nothing in there, just as planned.

He slips the box of chocolates in, makes sure to arrange the card carefully and closes it, feeling a bit of a thrill as he does so.

At least until he hears a “Masami, what are you doing?” and slams his hand on the lockers.

It’s Minami, watching him curiously, bag still over his shoulder.

“I… I thought I saw a moth in there!” he says. They both don’t like moths. There had been a particularly traumatic experience in Junior High when one had been in Minami’s room and they’d been trying to study. “I just had to chase it out for you.”

Minami sighs in relief, and Higashikata follows. “Thank you Masami. You’re always so brave when it comes to moths.”

“You can safely open your locker now. I think you should do that.”

“You should also open your locker.”

It’s true, he’s still wearing his outdoor shoes, he’d been so eager to make sure he got his present into Minami’s locker in time.

He heads to his locker, already toeing off his shoes. And he stares as he opens the door, at the neatly wrapped green box with a card on top with _his name_ , correctly spelled and everything, on it.

 _Happy Belated Valentine’s Day, from Banjiko_.

Higashikata starts laughing as he reads it, clutching it as Minami speeds around the corner, his own green box in hand.

“Oh Masami, I got chocolate for Valentine’s day. And you did too, isn’t this wonderful.”

‘It’s two days late though...” he says. Maybe he should have spent the extra money to get it to him on the actual day, although he doesn’t think Minami’s smile can be any larger than it is now.

“It’s the thought that counts, Masami. It seems it’s from the same person too.”

He turns the box over in his hands and it looks outwardly to be identical to the one he bought Minami. “Yes, she’s very economical with her chocolate choices. I like her already.”

He likes Minami without chocolate too. But the sight of his best friend clutching the chocolates secretly from him and smiling is enough to make Higashikata smile just as broadly back.

Maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t so bad after all.

FIN


End file.
